Numerous modes of constructing chandeliers have been devised over a period of many decades. Functional operation, decorative appearance, and manufacturing cost are considerations that are involved in every chandelier design.
The present invention, however, is directed toward an aspect of the problem which has frequently been neglected. This is the handling problem -- transportation and storage of the product before it is sold, assembly of the product when it is installed, and repair or cleaning after it is in use.
The present invention is also directed toward achieving safety, and particularly, by providing mechanisms which fully comply with regulations and standards of Underwriters Laboratories.
Some attention it is true, has been given to the transportation and storage of chandeliers. Chandeliers have been packaged in disassembled form in order to minimize the cost of storage, transportation, and handling. But installation has continued to require a great deal of expensive hand labor by an electrician. Repair and cleaning have also continued to be a problem, particularly on large chandeliers.
Many serious accidents have occurred during the cleaning of the large, expensive chandeliers. A cleaning person must stand on a tall ladder and perform intricate, time consuming movements in order to clean the numerous ornamental surfaces of the chandelier. If the ladder falls -- which has often happened -- there is inevitably an entanglement between the cleaning person and the chandelier, which results in great damage to the chandelier or serious injury to the cleaning person, or both.
Thus, the object and purpose of the present invention is to provide a chandelier which may be stored, transported, and handled with a minimum of inconvenience and expense, and which at the same time affords unprecedented ease to the operations of installing, repairing, or cleaning the chandelier while in use.